There are a number of very obvious sources of economic loss attributed to the period from the time a producer groups his pigs for shipping until slaughter. Pig deaths, loss in carcass weight, pale, soft and exudative (PSE) or dark firm and dry (DFD) pork, and physical injury / bruising. Some pig stressors are facility designs, environment, physical abuse, stocking density, and mixing. It was found in this study that the economic impact of pig transit and lairage deaths, bruising, lost carcass yield and PSE/DFD pork can be minimized, firstly, by refraining from the use of stress susceptible pigs and, secondly, by limiting the amount and impact of stress during the 24 hours prior to slaughter. The impact of pre-slaughter stress can be limited by careful consideration of: Facility design (pens, chutes, ramps, flooring, gates, transport vehicles); pig environment (temperature, humidity, lighting, smells, sounds);
humane handling practices, as well as conditioning pigs to handling; stocking density; mixing of unfamiliar pigs; Total time of feed/water withdrawal during transport and lairage; Rest in lairage after transport; this requires that all of those who handle and/or transport pigs during the period from the farm to slaughter adhere to these principles.